Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus

Nick Cave

A fun-sucker whose big ideas - as suggested by the title and horrifying run time of this one - are limited to the morbidly dramatic and lyrically mirthless. I didn't find a single line to grab on to. Occasionally the looming morbidity is effective - thuds reverberating in a tomb - but most of the time it feels like a 6-part documentary delivered entirley to camera by a single sad presenter. Docked a point for taking up so much of my life.

O Mamma! I was always a fan of Nick Cave, but I never bothered to listen to his full discography, which I'm starting to feel like a massive, massive mistake. Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus is an amazing double album. First song, "Get Ready For Love" caught my attention, but third one, "Hiding All Away" cemented its position as one of the best albums I have discovered on this website. This album has a certain great quality - it sounds like a band you have always known, but at the same time it feels extremely fresh, because for some reason I didn't listen to it before. Also, big thanks to The Bad Seeds, with Warren Ellis at the top. The more I listen to his music, the more I fall in love with it. And the quality of music on this double album is really amazing,every song feels like an adventure into unknown. But there is one thing that is unparalleled - Nick Cave's lyrics. "The Lyre of Orpheus" is now one of my favourite songs, his ability to create a story and make it almost immersive is extraordinary. I think I'm not allowed to make any more mistakes, one quiet evening I will listen to the whole discography of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. No more excuses, I need to witness more greatness!

An amazing double album. So nice to remind myself of it’s greatness. Nick’s voice is incredible and the range of tracks, lyrics and vocals are second to none. I’ve previously heard ‘My Beautiful World’ described as the most perfect track ever recorded. It’s hard to argue against that.

Wow. The first time I've ever really connected with him. Tastefully loud, full of energy perfectly arranged, beautiful harmonies, very weird but very cool lyrics. It's all beginning to make sense.

I love music that feels raw and passionate. There's such a draw to stuff like Amy Winehouse's black album or Adele's 19 or even some Johnny Cash where you can feel the pain the artist brings from their real life into the song. I'm not going to find myself singing any of these songs while doing the dishes, but listening to songs 2-4 is an experience you can feel in your soul. Music like this demands that you turn it up, close your eyes, and imagine yourself in a dark living room clutching a rocks glass of bourbon on the last night of your life. It's perfect for solo listening through headphones at volumes that will permanently damage your hearing. And you should, you should feel permanently damaged by this passion behind dark and brooding music.

The Gospel according to Nick Cave.

Wow! Wasn't sure on first hearing, but by the third play I was hooked. Well worth investing some time into this. Almost avant-garde but still proper musicality. Brilliant.

I really like Nick but the last album of his I got was in the late 90s.  This is really quite good. He starts out by kicking you in the teeth - I'd be disappointed if he didn't. The shift from the Abattoir to the Orpheus disc is hard to miss as the string of ballads floats out. I prefer that he did this rather than mix the ballads amongst the charged up tunes. It's reminiscent of the many Buddha Bar double CD releases that labelled one CD "dinner" and the other "dance". You might be in the mood for Nick's ballads one night so you can choose the disc that gives this. And if you're in the mood for a kick in the teeth, Disc 1 is waiting. 

Where did this come from? It's like a journey through shadows and light. The lyrics hit. The dual nature of the record blends raw intensity with gentle introspection and it stands out. It reminds me of Leonard Cohen’s moody storytelling and Tom Waits’ raw energy. This really grew on me and stays with you.

Im currently convinced that Nick Cave can do no wrong. Im always amazed by his ability to create powerful moods with his music.

Interesting concept album. Fees evergreen style-wise; alt/classic rock feel, dark vocals. Hits hard but not too gritty.

I don’t necessarily believe in serendipity, but it felt oddly appropriate that Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus landed as my album of the day while I was deep into Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ latest release Wild God (2024, if you're reading this in the future). Why? Because this double album is widely regarded as the moment Nick Cave’s career was reignited. By the early 2000s, Cave’s creative momentum seemed to be waning. Though revered for his previous work, Nocturama (2003) was considered by many a misstep, and whispers of him becoming a "legacy act" grew louder. Yet, with Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus, Cave didn't just bounce back—he charted a bold new course. The two-disc set feels less like a traditional double album and more like a deliberate pairing of contrasting moods. Abattoir Blues is explosive and intense, steeped in gospel-tinged rock that surges with energy. Tracks like “Get Ready for Love” and “There She Goes, My Beautiful World” bristle with urgency, while “Hiding All Away” stands out for its sinister, bluesy undercurrent. Meanwhile, The Lyre of Orpheus takes a more introspective approach, leaning into orchestral elegance and pastoral balladry. “Breathless” offers a breezy, almost whimsical respite, contrasting with the mythic darkness of “The Lyre of Orpheus” and the poignant, choir-backed “O Children.” Warren Ellis’s contributions—particularly his haunting string work—elevate the album’s more delicate moments. Cave’s vocals shift masterfully between fiery preacher and tender storyteller, embodying the duality of love and loss, myth and mortality. This dynamic range, coupled with the band’s invigorated performance, cemented the album as a late-career triumph. This wasn’t just a comeback—it was a reinvention. Cave’s ability to draw from mythological themes, literary references, and gospel sounds without losing his signature edge gave the album both a cerebral and spiritual depth. It also paved the way for his increasingly minimalist, contemplative works in the 2010s, including Push the Sky Away (2013) and Skeleton Tree (2016). And while the immediate critical response praised the album for its ambition and energy, hindsight has only amplified its importance in Cave’s discography. Tracks like “O Children” have since gained pop culture recognition, while “Nature Boy” and “Breathless” remind listeners of Cave’s ability to balance darkness with levity. Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus is another step in my continued infatuation with Nick Cave. The album's raw energy and emotional depth have left me feeling both exhilarated and deeply moved. This wasn’t just music to pass the time—it was an experience that lingers, stirring thoughts and emotions long after the last note fades. There’s an argument to be made that Nick Cave’s real magic lies in his consistency during what could be considered the third act of his career. Rather than fading into nostalgia, he continues to evolve—like that rare bottle of bourbon you keep hidden away, savouring each sip while marvelling at how much more remains. If Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus wasn’t already included in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, it would surely have earned its place by now, not just as a great record but as a moment when an artist defied expectation and found new life in the process. Did/Do I own this release? No. Does this release belong on the list? Yes. Would this release make my personal list? Another album I hadn't heard before that feels like it was missing in my life. Will I be listening to it again? This deserves repeat visits.

Nick Cave departed a little from the Singer-Songwriter style he made in the years prior and returned to a little more Art and Alt Rock with a little more experimentation as well as some of his old Punk Blues. The album is incredibly diverse with inspirations and ideas some of which work great while others leave room for improvement. It features some of the best songs that Nick and his band every released as well as a song that became unforgettable by being a part of the seventh Harry Potter movie. The albums first part: Abattoir Blues opens with 'Get Ready for Love', a noisy and punky introduction with a lot of energy and anxious lyrics that make this not only a theatrical and epic opening but a loud one as well. Many people love this song just for that and I do too... the first half... The song is with 5 minutes not the shortest but the repetition of certain themes and sounds make this a little stagnant after a while which ultimately harms the whole enjoyment. It's still a pretty good song but they should've just cut it after the bridge. After the epic intro, 'Cannibal's Hymn' takes a more laid back but haunting direction. It's full of weird noises and lyrics that are both incoperated into a great arrangement and a simply perfect chorus. It's an incredible song that shows how Cave can write dark and haunting lyrics but package them in something more melancholic while keeping the ominous atmosphere that the text needs. I love this song but I wish he'd made the verses a little more musically interesting because they feel kind of left over or forgotten. It's a great song nonetheless even if it slightly missed the chance to be incredble or even perfect. 'Hiding All Away' is the definition of Post-Punk. The inclusions of some Noise Rock as well as the Gospel-like vocals really make this an anxious listen full of tension and great performances both musically and vocally. The lyrics are dark and have some "evil" sprinkled in the delivery. The chorus/bridge is a perfect release of the tension that was build and lets the song go on for so long without feeling boring. I love this song so much and I am certain that this is the first perfect song on the album. The first half of the first part closes with 'Messiah Ward', again, a more relaxed song with some nice influences and mainly great lyrics. The song doesn't start so interesting but the more it builds up the more interesting it gets and the moment the pre-chorus starts the song has a deserved place here. The songwriting is so great and the chorus is simply but effective. It's a great song but like with Track 2, this would've needed a little work on the verses, musically and vocally spoken. One of the album's biggest highlights, 'There She Goes, My Beautiful World', keeps the Gospel inspired vocals while being a fast and incredibly fun piano driven alt-rock song. The lyrics are such a good mix between funny and loving and the chorus is catchy and just f-ing relatable. The song is just one of the most energetic and passionate songs in Nick's whole discography and having this kind of quality is just amazing. Definitely a perfect song. The next song 'Nature Boy' is another really well and lovingly made song with a great flow especially in pre-chorus and chorus. The lyrics blend nostalgia, darkness and hope in a pretty motivational way and the verses with the piano are some of the best on the album. An equally as perfect song as its predecessor. The title track of the first half 'Abattoir Blues' seems to be pretty beloved by many but I never got the song. It feels weaker and pales in comparison to most of the album with the lyrics and especially the way they are presented. It's just a pretty average song with some Trip Hop influence on the drums. The "oh yeah" Gosepl parts are the only thing not making this completely boring. Luckily, 'Let the Bells Ring' is a slight step up by featuring one of the best choruses on the entire project. It's so raw while keeping a certain ominous and twisted feeling to it. Instrumentally, this is pretty standard but the way it builds the tension towards the chorus and then keeping it dense is just done in the best way possible. I really love this song even if some parts do feel a little bit too rough around the edges and that not in the best way. 'Abattoir Blues' closes with 'Fable of the Brown Ape', easily the worst song on the entire album. It is boring and when it isn't its annoying. Nothing redeeming or interesting or edgy or experimental about it. Just not good. And the "epic" and "grand" chorus doesn't work because it doesn't build up or anything catchy. It is just loud and annoying. Yeah, I might be a little too harsh on this one but to see Nick do something like this is simply disappointing. The second part: 'The Lyre of Orpheus' opens with its title track. 'The Lyre of Orpheus' is a dark and twisted new interpreted version of the Orpheus tale. This song is dark, ugly and full of bluesy Punk that makes this one of the most Nick Cave moments on the album as well as one of the best. This is a true masterpiece in every sense of the word and my personal favourite song on the album. It's just so damn good. Following one perfect song, Breathless comes on with a more Pop and Folk inspired sound but Nick and his band are still able to pull it off in the best way possible. The avant-garde flute at the start, the dreamy and nearly children music like sound of the song (watch the music video it literally is about some damn rabbit family) and Nick's lyrics are much less dark and actually pretty soft and cute and full of love. 'Babe, You Turn Me On' continues the incredible run of songs with even more Folk and actually a little Jazz-inspired drums. This style does fit Nick surprisingly well and once the chorus starts the whole thing starts fitting together even better. The lyrics are some of his best on the album especially when it comes to the chorus. It's not as good as the two before but it still is an incredible song. The rock returns with 'Easy Money'. It's another perfect song. The piano and the vocals fit the sound so well and the way it starts the chorus which is again perfect, is just incredible. It's sentimental and slow like a late night romantic dance but in the best way possible. I love pretty much everything about the song which makes it even crazier that this isn't even a Top 3 song on this part of the album. Wow! The second half of the second part starts with the fast paced 'Supernaturally' which not only has a great flow and chorus but also some pretty great vocal deliveries and lyrics that fit perfectly. I just think that it might be a little streched towards the end and the chorus and verses just don't work as much anymore but I still love this song a lot even if it's not perfect. "Hey-Ho, oh no no no!" What a great and funny line. 'Spell' on the other hand is pretty boring all throughout. It's not completely uninteresting but it is a significant drop in quality. The lyrics don't work as much, the Gospel chorus isn't as great as it maybe could've turned out and the overall structure of the song doesn't change and stays in the same basic way the whole song. It's an okay song but he could've scrapped it and no one would care. In comparison, 'Carry Me' is a great song because it is. It's nothing too crazy or incredible but it is a great song. It is does have stylistic smiliarities with the closing track and kind of builds towards that final epic with a lot of tension here but outside of this tension and the Gospel chorus, the song just can't hold what most of this part has on average. But it is pretty much on a level with some of the songs right at the start of the album. The album closes with 'O Children', a song featured in Harry Potter. But here it closes the album with the most emotional song here. The lyrics are tragic with many possible interpretations. It builds up over the span of five minutes until it releases into a sentimental and emotional height that releases emotions in me that I didn't even knew I had. What a perfect song to end an album with. The Lyre of Orpheus > Abattoir Blues favourites: The Lyre of Orpheus, O Children, There She Goes, My Beautiful World, Hiding All Away, Breathless, Nature Boy, Easy Money least favourites: Fable of the Brown Ape, Spell, Abattoir Blues Rating: strong 8 to light 9 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

harry potter song

Such a great album. My favorite of his musically. Of course Cave's lyrical magic is here as usual and this time the music is just as magical. The songs are accessible with loads of hooks and some of his most memorable melodies. This is the album that could make a fan of a no -fan. 5 🌟

My sister loves Nick Cave. Please don't tell her I'm only giving this 3 stars.

9/10 Nick <3

Glorious, melodramatic, soaked in all kinds of gospel, from the euphoric to the hellfire & brimstone. Fave Track - "O Children", though I resent Harry Potter using it in the soundtrack 😠

Sometimes we were really into this and thought it was great. Other times it wasn't quite hitting. Ended up somewhere in the middle.

There's definitely too much Nick Cave on this record. Includes 3-4 decent, even good songs ("There She Goes.." is up there with his best) but very little that's novel or musically-interesting enough to justify the other 13-14. Hard to shake the impression of someone sniffing their own farts in places

I honestly can't believe a Nick Cave album from 2004 needs to be in the list. Sigh. And of course it goes for almost an hour and a half. I'm getting pretty sick of listening to music I don't really like, haha. And yeah... there are a few ok songs on this, but mostly it's that annoying "dark" Nick Cave gen x shit I just don't care about. I dunno whether to give it a 2 or 3 - if it was just one album it'd be a 3, I think. But it just goes nowhere for far too long, and Cave's shtick bores me. 2/5.

This album blew me away. I heard a bit of Nick Cave in the past and I disliked him for some reason, and ignored him ever since. I’m really glad I was able to look past that preconceived notion with this listen. Musically, this album was full of surprises. I didn’t know what style was coming next, and it never seemed to disappoint. The backing vocals really stood out for me; they helped take these songs to the next level, and I’m not sure the songs would be as good without them. Nick Cave’s vocal stylings were very interesting. Not a good singer necessarily, but a great vocalist and frontman. He’s a David Byrne of sorts - The Talking Heads wasn’t only Byrne, but it was definitely The David Byrne Show. This feels similar. A rare five star rating for an album that is completely new to me.

Epic. Have only listened to Nick Cave in passing over the years, and this album was be to me. The range, intensity, and beauty of this album was striking.

I saw the length and wanted to be kind of negative How Can You be negative when something like There She Goed My Beautiful World comes on. Brilliant. Let The Bells Ring - another good song, really nice guitar riff playing constantly. Supernaturally - Brilliant I wanna say "too long" but its hard when everything is good We are going 5

so. i opened the website. i submitted my last rating. and out of nowhere, i had this feeling that there's gonna be some boring things coming up. AND HERE COMES MY NEWEST FAVOURITE SONGWRITER! (squeals excitedly, disturbing my classmate's peace while can't control my limbs well because of the cup of coffee that i drank) so. this album is important. it is considered one of Cave's best work and is also the first album from Nick and the seeds after long time contributor Blixa Bargeld quitted the band to focus full-time on their own band. and the name of Blixa's band? Einstürzende Neubauten. yes, THE Einstürzende Neubauten. the band that has the lowest rating on this fucking website. but anyway. so first, let's take a look at the album closer, "O Children". Nick's second famous song because of its usage in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. And fun fact! i bought a pack of butterbeer flavoured snacks (which is a certified tie-in with the franchise) this morning! the snack is mid. BUT THE TRACK IS PERFECT. with the fleeting and spiritual arrangements, and the gospel-like vocals. the lyrics with all these bittersweet moments of life and death, and we rejoice with tears while the song fades out. well, now to the first disc of the double album, "Abattoir Blues". Don't tell me you can't feel an immediate adrenaline rush from "Get Ready For Love". YEAH! A STRAIGHT PUNCH IN YOUR FACE! "Cannibal's Hymn", build upon a repeated bass riff, is a departing from the straight punch the first song offers us, with a rather tender form of songwriting and the song running in a waltz-like 3/4 time beat. "Hiding All Away" returned to the energetic state using dirty blues rock/post punk and uplifting backing vocals, while "Messiah Ward" mitigated the atmosphere again with Cave's songwriting sensibility. (fuck it i begin to talk nonsense again.) BUT ANYWAY! LET ME PRESENT TO YOU! THE ONLY OTHER BOLDED SONG ON THIS ALBUM'S RYM PAGE! THE ANTHEM OF SEEKING INSPIRATION! THE PRAYER TO THE MUSES! MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITE NICK CAVE SONG, IF NOT COUNTING "THE MERCY SEAT" IN! "There She Goes, my Beautiful World"! i literally get my social media username from the opening lyrics of the song ;) well, just take a listen... and look at how fucking motivated this hell of a songs is. i can't tell you how much i like this song and all its references to famous writers (although Johnny Thunders didn't write "Chinese Rocks", the songwriter is Dee Dee Ramone). it helped me while i was encountering writer's block. many times. i just put it on and typed furiously. "Nature Boy" is a near pop rock love song praising beauty which, being a constant theme on the album, was written in many, beautiful, ways. It is also pretty in sync with the flower on the album cover imo. "Abattoir Blues" is not blues but art rock, and released a scent of apocolypes and death with misantropic lyrics and the arrangement that paints doom right into the song. "Let the Bells Ring", based on a tinkering guitar riff and sounds religious in all the way, is both melancholic and uplifting. "Fable of the Brown Ape", the closer of the first half, literally sounds like bipolar disorder somehow. and it is weird. VERY WEIRD. So, "The Lyre of Orpheus". both the disc and the song. It brings a literal twist to the story of Orpheus and Eurydice with his signature dark storytelling. Nobody looked back this time, but both orpheus and eurydice are still dead in the end. and here's "Breathless". Nick tries folk rock. Tommy and Grace married over the song. and "NO FOOKING FIGHTING". "Babe, You Turn Me On" is a folkish song too, but it is not featured in Peaky Blinders. And for "Easy Money", i think it is similar with Pink Floyd's "Money". but i don't know why. "Supernaturally" is a hidden killer track and sounds like something that should appeared on the first disc. "Spell" is mid, while "Carry Me" retained the gospel-like arrangement find in the first disc that Nick would come back to 20 years later in "Wild God". and as we listen to "O Children" one more time, i just want to ask every one that gives a low grade in this might be biased way, HOW DARE YOU NOT LOVE NICK CAVE? 5/5

Nick Cave knows what he's doing, excellent album!

I'd never listened to a Nick Cave album before, so I was a little intimidated by an 82-minute double album being my introduction to his music. Although it is dense, it's also stacked with truly great rock songs. I wasn't bored at all; at worst, indifferent or not present. I wanted to revisit to absorb what I'd missed during this first listen. I like his stately, deep voice and writing style, and the band sounds great. These songs are carefully composed without being fussy or labored. I'm relieved to say that I'm looking forward to the next Nick Cave album.

Not a lot of songwriters can make an hour and a half long album with zero skips. But Nick Cave is one of those few. I discovered him from this list and now I'm a big fan, he's fucking awesome "There She Goes, My Beautiful World" is one of the best songs he's ever made

Wow how have I missed this album all my life?! A dark, bloody, pessimistic view on power, manipulation, god, nature and love, entwined with fables, myths and fairytales. Not suffocatingly serious though, it's a bit silly, which makes it even better. The lyre of orpheus is a brilliant sarcastic take on how annoying it is to have a boyfriend who's a musician. Too true Nick. O children will forever remind me of Harry Potter. The combo of blues and gospel takes you to another world completely. Very up my street. I've noticed I always seem to like the Friday albums best, which is great cos I get even more time to enjoy them.

An unprecedented A+++ love love love

As an admirer of Nick Cave, I was not prepared for this masterpiece. It’s so powerful and loud at the same time. So far one of the best albums from the list so far.

ебааать, как охуенно... Это всё, чем Коэн должен был стать, обзаведясь полноценной электро-группой. Пока что, думаю, самый охуенный альбом из подборки. Причём он вообще не должен быть таким на бумаге. Ну типа это ебаный рак музыки — двойной альбом, при этом звук у всех инструментов почти всегда одинаковый, вокал тоже не шибко разнообразный, женские бэки одни и те же во всех треках. Но бля, как же идеально нащупана формула (к 13 альбому-то), что можно слушать полтора часа один и тот же звук и не уставать. Помимо Коэна сравнил бы с уже упомянутыми разок Swans, но только абсолютно лисенер-френдли (что немного абсурд, но я так чувствую), есть вот эта арт-энергия, но без песен по полчаса, балдеж же. Также, судя по всему, пластинка идёт в копилку альбомов, которые просто охуенно слушать, бродя по ночному городу (наряду с, например, You'd Prefer an Astronaut от Hum и Le troisième choix от Agora Fidelio). Вообще у меня создалась такая концепция альбома, что он начинается как будто вечером, проходит через фазу ночи и примерно в начале второго диска перетекает в утро, но всё-таки последние песни (особенно божественные Easy Money и Supernaturally) немного сбивают впечатление. Хз даже, что ещё говорить, оче мощная работа (хотя, конечно, под настроение). Ник Кейв в принципе был одним из исполнителей, ради которого я пошёл на этот эксперимент с альбомами, так как ранее его работ не слышал (только Джанкъярд мельком), и это был отличный повод. Ну хули, сыграла ставочка. 10/10

This was really unexpected (and I found to be quite unique). Sort of reminds me of Xiu Xiu, but less despair. While it's not my favourite, I highly recommend giving it a listen, and for that alone, I'm rating it a 5.

Split into two parts, a greatly enjoyable collection of songs. Favorites are Get Ready for Love, Hiding All Away, Breathless, Babe, You Turn Me On, Easy Money, Supernatually, Carry Me & O Children.

First repeat artist! Turns out all those huge nerds in the 2010s telling me I would love Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds were right! Dug this one, although not as much as Murder Ballads

Complete

Finally getting the right opportunity, after loving Wild God last year (and wow those albums are 21 years apart) to dig deeper into the large Nick Cave & the bad seeds' discography. Now, this is how you make a double album, the 2 sides sounds different from eachother, and both are very very solid: as a double albums liver, sometimes you get that feeling that the album could've been cut down to a single disc to be better, and luckily this isn't the case. Everything is really strong, but I'd like to spend a couple words to admire nick Cave as a Vocalist: powerful tone, incredibly well controlled, and everything he says feels heartfelt. Such a good voice and a great way to use that gift.

Not quite my thing but the creativity and execution are undeniable. Easy Money and the closer slapped

Before I was not the biggest fan of nick cave. I think I rated one album before. But I start to like it more and more. This is a fantastic album. It’s very long and not all the songs are as good, but still there are so many good songs on it. Hard to choose some favourites. Favourite songs: - Get ready for love - There she goes my beautiful world - Breathless

Nick Cave has so much to say and does it so beautifully. This album is a treat to listen to.

Yeah he kinda cooked with this one. I see the vision

cool album, there are a few tracks i wish were cut to make it a little tighter but i really enjoyed this one

Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus is a brilliant double album, pulling inspirations from rock, pop, art rock, blues & folk to create a fairly experimental but easily accessible and expansive album. Part 1: “Abattoir Blues” starts with a bang with the loud rocker “Get ready for love”. The gospel vocals against the heavy riffs work perfectly here, and gets the album off to a brilliant start, even if the song does drag on a little too long. “Cannibals hymn” calms things down, but is still just as interesting, with its dark lyrics and haunting instrumentation. “Hiding all away” marks a return to the rock energy of the opening track but does it even better with a great bluesy influence and an incredible build up in the verses to a loud release. Following this is “Messiah ward” which takes a more laid back approach with its lush instrumentation and nice vocals. It’s more basic than other tracks until this point, but still sounds great. “There she goes, my beautiful world” is the gospel backing vocals / heavy guitar and piano combination and it’s best and most catchy with brilliant melodies. The vocals here are passionate and the song is so energetic. “Nature boy” is a bit more laid back but is just as well made and another one of the catchiest points of the album so far. “Abattoir blues” is a good track where the drums standout as the most engaging part, and some nice backing vocals which stand alone in the outro. “Let the bells ring” sees a return to the great choruses on a relatively standard but very well executed track. Closing out side one of this double album is “Fable of the brown ape” which uses the quiet build up / loud release formula quite well but it’s not as effective as on other tracks on side 1. Part 2: “The Lyre of Orpheus” opens up with its title track, a dark, gritty blues inspired track which opens up side 2 so well. “Breathless” which follows it, on the other hand, is a bright, emotional and pop inspired song which with a great vibe, amazing vocal performance and a catchy chorus and verses. “Babe, you turn me on” slows down the pace with a great romantic ballad and from lyrics to vocals to production is a lovely song all round. “Easy money” is a good, slightly dark, slow burning rock song kept interesting by some good vocals and lyrics. “Supernaturally” picks up the pace as an infectiously energetic rock song with one of the catchiest parts of the album coming in the chorus. “Spell” kicks off the final stretch of the album decently well with a passable but ultimately basic and unremarkable track. The next track “Carry me” does a similar style better with a nice gospel chorus and is just a more interesting track all round. The final track “O Children” is the perfect closer. An emotional build up with fantastic backing vocals which ultimately fades out to end the album on a good note. Overall, this album is a fantastic listening experience. For a double album, it doesn’t drag and there are no real misses. The album could and maybe should have had some of the less interesting tracks removed, and the album could’ve done with some refining in terms of shortening a couple of tracks which go on a bit too long. Despite this, there are no real big low points and the album stays consistently engaging, with brilliant performances on all fronts including the vital gospel vocals that feature on so many tracks. 4/5.

I hadn't heard this one! I like it a lot so far. Nick Cave is something I find hard to get myself to listen to sometimes. I got Murder Ballads on this list a couple weeks ago and skipped it, even though I own the vinyl. But there is just so much thats cool about his music. And this album feels different somehow from the other albums I've heard. Something about it feels more palatable even when I wasn't sure I was in the mood to listen to Nick Cave. I really like how the band's music is perfect for each song, but even though its SO cool, it has a way of almost forcing you to pay attention to Cave's lyrics. I kinda divided the two halves of the album up thoughiut my day and really liked it

Yes now, big album from nick

Nicht ständig, aber gut für bestimmte Momente

First time to really listen to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds so not sure what to expect. Enjoyed most of this album.

Pretty good, no complaints

Wow, this is excellent. I was not familiar with Nick Cave before I started this project and the first album of his I received was "Ghosteen" which rubbed me the wrong way. This is very good. 4/5

Okay I may be weird but I was kinda into this

I really like the first disc as there’s several songs off that half of the album that I know well and they flow nicely into each other. The second half was slower and more vibey, which didn’t resonate with me as well, but it ended in a soft groove and took me on a journey.

Really enjoyed this.

Grateful to get this on a Friday because it's a long'un. Really enjoyed this on each listen. O Children is beautiful (in spite of the image of Daniel Radcliffe dancing to it). I want to see There She Goes, My Beautiful World live

Great dark rock, reminds me a lot of Lord Huron

Not what I was expecting. Very good. I will listen to this again.

Blues Cave is better than Lyre Cave, still a good double album.

When I lived in Ohio, I got to be friends with a guy who worked at the Jimmy John's up the road from my office. I was always either a 6 or a 6 on wheat, and it was my lunch any time I didn't pack one or couldn't deal with my packed lunch, so I guess I became easy to spot. He turned out to be pretty cool, he did a bunch of community theater and I started going to his shows and helping him pick things to go out for. He was also extremely weird (so am I) so on one trip we saw a play that involved, IIRC, someone hanging by their entrails with all of the lines in an Irish accent and rhyming cadence. The point of this story is that he was the biggest Nick Cave fan I've ever met, and he is absolutely precisely the sort of person I had envisioned Nick Cave fans being. A lot of this is a little bit too, like, depressed-in-a-dark-cave-by-the-ocean for me, but I did like this album more than some others I've heard. 3.5

Not his best but even his lesser stuff is better than most people's peaks.

Amazing lyrics. Great rock. Hard to pick just three tracks. An exceptional first half, but the second just slows the pace and the songs aren't quite as strong. Best Tracks: Get Ready For Love, Hiding All The Way, There She Goes My Beautiful World

I listened to Nick Cave once and thought he wasn't for me, but I really liked this album. I'm going to go back and listen to more. Some great moments, and his raw emotion really works for me here.

This has been the only NC album I've found remotely listenable so far. Why are there so many NC albums though???

This morning I was looking for something a little mellow to gain my focus. You can imagine my surprise when Mr. Cave came out the gate swinging with Get Ready for Love and followed it with Cannibal’s Hymn. It’s obvious he had something to say here, and damn it he was gonna’ say it! Key song for me was There She Goes… Definitely different from previous work but a pretty good risk and reward. Well played Mr Cave!

Just came up as ok for me. I didn't hate it but never wanted to hit repeat on any song.

The music and vocals were not bad, but it was pretty long and strange. I think it's something you have to be in the right mood for. Better than I expected, though!

Nick Cave’s music serves his words, which are well-assembled, but don’t stir me. The theatricality, the occasional archaism, and the storyteller mode might be too flat for me: I’m unconvinced, though I respect his conviction. The music’s fun, just lacking hook in their function as set-dressing. This may also be the reason that the only PJ Harvey albums I love are her first two, the rock band ones; there are strong similarities, though she has more tunes and a better voice. I prefer “Abbatoir Blues” of the two records, perhaps because I perceive more of the anarchy of James Johnston’s former band, Gallon Drunk.

3.5 Okay here’s the recipe for a Nick Cave song: Make it 5-6 minutes long Long verses with biblical and religious allusions Choruses with choirs in the background Towards the end the choir takes over and chants the chorus over and over Rinse, repeat Here’s the thing. It’s not a bad formula per se, but it’s definitely a formula. And it gets repetitive when it’s 90 minutes long. Again, not sure the need for a double album here, 45 mins would have sufficed and improved the rating. It’s not bad though! I can see why some people go wild for this dude. I would relisten to this and enjoy myself, but personally it’s not my fave thing. There’s a few bangers tho.

This is doing my nut in. I listened to a different Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album earlier in this list and it was bad, not rip-your-ears bad but not something I enjoyed in any way. Then this album comes along, and although there were plenty of low points and tracks that weren't very good, I found myself enjoying it. I preferred Abattoir Blues to The Lyre of Orpheus.

The works of Edgar Allan Poe, if they were turned into a rocking musical with gospel backup singers.

Good length for mowing

Let the Bells Ring was my favorite.

I just can't with Nick Cave & The Bad Music.

Sucks. I don't like to use the word "pretentious" when describing art, I think it's a cop-out word that people use when the artist's intention is beyond their comprehension and sensibilities. Dictionary definition is "attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed," so I'm absolutely applying it here because this album is just full of grandiose ideas and goals and an affectation of intelligence that, given the bored, flat delivery, feels so incredibly phony. We've had at least one other Nick Cave album, and I generally like the guy, but he sounds really bad on here. Really morose, whiny, like he's in on some cosmic sorrow that we couldn't even imagine (good thing I'm not saying this stuff about Ghosteen, but then again, why would I? That album is good). From the two-part backslash title, to the vague mythology references amid tracks like--sorry, let me make sure I get this right--"Babe, You Turn Me On." Absolutely no thank you, I am not the audience for this. I'm as averse to this as I am to mustard, too bitter and too adjacent to poison for my palate. Favorite tracks: Let the Bells Ring. Album art: Cool flower picture, thick border, decent font. Formulaic, but not terrible. 1/5

What an amazing masterpiece, I only knew O children which is a song I’m very fond of but the whole album is a perfect construct.

I love Nick Cave so much, but this not actually a record I’ve spent an overabundance of time on. I really love his early work, with Henry’s Dream, Let Love In, and Murder Ballads being the real sweet spot in his body of work for me. I kind of checked out with him post-Boatman’s Call, so I’m looking forward to this one since I really haven't listened to it more than once in the past, and that was probably 20 years ago. Just finished. What a baller record. I can’t believe it’s taken me 20 years to come back and sit with this record. I checked out after No More Shall We Part. After the weepiness of Boatman’s Call (which was good, but not my favorite side of Nick Cave) and leaning more into that with NMSWP, I gave up the proverbial ghost with Nick Cave. I’d even listened to bits of late records where he just seemingly quit giving a shit about rhyme schemes and writing songs that were pleasant to listen to. But this record fits, probably most sweetly, into that sweet spot. It has balls and heart. It might be one of his most “front to back” listenable records. He has written a good many songs that surpass many on this record (though there a few that hang with the best of his songs), but this is one of his best records as a whole. I will be putting this in my regular rotation. 5/5

Another home run! Have had this album since it was first released. Top of their form here.

Excelente álbum. Me recordó al estilo de música que más me gusta de David Bowie. Oscuro, melancólico, rockero, enérgico. Es un álbum largo, pero lo disfruté de principio a fin. Otro favorito a mi colección realmente.

Wow, this is so good. Normally not a fan of double albums but there isn’t a filler song on here. Like two solid albums released at once. Beautiful, soulful, rich music that is loaded with every emotion available. You know it’s something special when you finish a double album and immediately start it over again.

Masterpiece. Every song is magnificent.

Långt ifrån det bästa Nick Cave har gjort. Det hade räckt med en enkelplatta som skulle blivit mycket jämnare. Men det spelar liksom ingen roll. Det är så jäkla bra ändå.

Vyborny album

I was very surprised when I listened to this. I could hear definite influence from the stars of 70s. I liked this alot

Fabulous!!

Do I even need to say it? I loved this album

Büro, Heidenheim, Deutschland Fantastisches Album, ausschließlich Hits!

An eclectic, sprawling, wonderful double album. Wonderful. 5 stars. Would I buy this album - I did, upon it's original release. Would I listen again? Most certainly. Disc one: Abattoir Blues 1. "Get Ready for Love" 5:05 - Rollicking, sprawling, rocking and loud. This type of Bad Seeds song hasn't been heard for a while. Great backing vocals. What an opener. 5* 2. "Cannibal's Hymn" 4:54 - Slower paced, dissonate sounds, lovely melody. The percussion is great. Great vocals. 5* 3. "Hiding All Away" 6:31 - Another in the line of Bad Seeds story/narrative songs. It sounds desperate, aggressive, dangerous and loud. 5*. 4. "Messiah Ward" 5:14 - Back to the more mellow sounds. Nice groove and melody. Subtle backing vocals. Good chorus. 4* 5. "There She Goes, My Beautiful World" 5:17. - A truly wonderful song. 5* 6. "Nature Boy" 4:54 - This song whizzes by and seems short, but isn't. It's to the point. 5* 7. "Abattoir Blues" 3:58 - Percussive, musically, drums and Piano. slower paced. Nice backing vocals. 4* 8. "Let the Bells Ring" 4:26 - Uplifting and up tempo. 4* 9. "Fable of the Brown Ape" 2:45- Interesting. Great dynamics. 4* 41/45 Disc two: The Lyre of Orpheus 1. "The Lyre of Orpheus" 5:36 - Brilliant. It has that "Bad Seeds" sound. You know it's them before the vocals kick in. 5* 2. "Breathless" 3:13 - This is a super song. Romantic and beautiful. 5* 3. "Babe, You Turn Me On" 4:21 - Another stunning beautiful song. Love the lyrics. 5* 4. "Easy Money" 6:43 - Warren Ellis influenced. Another wonderful song. Languid in its sound, not necessarily lyrically. 5* 5. "Supernaturally" 4:37 A change of mood, tempo and rhythms. Great chorus. 4* 6. "Spell" 4:25 Another slow, atmospheric number with lovely backing from the Bad Speeds and a haunting Violin in the background. 4* 7. "Carry Me" 3:37 Swirling, dramatic introduction that carries on through the verses. Lovely call and response between Nick Cave and the backing vocalists for the chorus. Soulful. 5* 8. "O Children" 6:51 - Ah, what is now known as the 'Harry Potter Song'. Just fantastic. Emotional and beautiful 5* 38/40 79/85

Perfect

Abbatoir - 5/5 Orpheus - 4/5

Again an outstanding, heartfelt offering from Cave. The structure is simple and even repetitive but he makes it work so well. Sung poems. 4.6

A really great listen. I love Nick Cave. Mostly know him for his blog and Murder Ballads. I liked this one.

I absolutely adore Nick Cave and this album is a masterpiece.

There She Goes My Beautiful World, Breathless and Supernaturally are some of my favourite Nick Cave songs. The chorus to Easy Money will just randomly pop into my head every now and then it's so pretty. |They make the music more accessible than albums like Murder Ballads, but without losing any of it's brilliance. Another 5 Stars for the Bad Seeds.

This was such a blast, and I will be returning to it to pay closer attention to the lyrics. One a first pass I had no idea what I was in for and it was excellent rock and blues with a folk lyricism. I really loved it.

This album is almost masterpiece material. The variety, influences, musicianship, and lyrics are all outstanding. It’s a double album but really functions a lot like two very distinct, individual albums. I really really liked this one.

One of best albums ever

well, it's great isn't it

Despedimos el cuarto mes del año con la bestia de Nick Cave. Es ya el segundo disco que aparece en el reto de éste artista, al que siempre es bueno volver. Empieza bien arriba y se mantiene como todo disco de éste hombre: oscuro y caótico, sexy e introspectivo. La segunda parte, más tranquila, mantiene el mood reflexivo. Excelente forma de terminar abril. Nos vemos la semana que viene.

It's Nick Cave, so I'm already sold... Not every song hits, but the album as a whole does. Last track is the perfect ending...

Beautiful.

Moż trochę za długa, ale co z tego? Nikt nie tworzy takiej atmosfery jak Nick. Płyta jest utrzymana w jego rozpoznawalnym oniryczno-mrocznym stylu. Od razu słychać, czyj to album. Te teksty, te aranżacje… wielki talent, wielki umysł, wielka płyta. 9/10